


Blackout.

by sandean_cas



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, BAMF Castiel (Supernatural), Blackouts, Castiel & Sam Winchester Friendship, Castiel Can't Cook (Supernatural), Castiel Comforts Dean Winchester, Castiel Confesses Feelings for Dean Winchester, Castiel Deserves to be Loved (Supernatural), Castiel Makes Pie For Dean Winchester, Castiel Makes a Deal with The Shadow (Supernatural), Castiel Makes the First Move (Supernatural), Castiel and Dean Winchester Falling in Love, Castiel and Dean Winchester Have a Profound Bond, Castiel and Dean Winchester Need to Use Their Words, Castiel and Dean Winchester Use Their Words, Castiel and Dean Winchester in Love, Castiel in the Men of Letters Bunker (Supernatural), Castiel is Loved (Supernatural), Castiel is Not Oblivious (Supernatural), Castiel is Not Okay (Supernatural), Castiel is So Done (Supernatural), Castiel's Tan Trenchcoat (Supernatural), Castiel/Dean Winchester First Kiss, Castiel/Dean Winchester One Shot, Conversations in the Impala (Supernatural), Dean Winchester Deserves Nice Things, Dean Winchester Deserves to be Happy, Dean Winchester Has a Crush on Castiel, Dean Winchester Loves The Impala, Dean Winchester Needs a Hug, Dean Winchester Wears Castiel's Trenchcoat, Dean Winchester Whump, Dean Winchester is Bad at Feelings, Dean Winchester is So Done, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Episode: s15e20 (Supernatural), Fluff, Happy Ending, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Making Out in the Impala (Supernatural), Married Castiel/Dean Winchester, Oblivious Castiel (Supernatural), Oblivious Castiel/Dean Winchester, Oblivious Dean Winchester, Oblivious Sam Winchester, One Shot, Protective Castiel (Supernatural), Quote: "Bitch." "Jerk." (Supernatural), Quote: Angels are watching over you. (Supernatural), Quote: I learned that from the pizza man. (Supernatural), Quote: I'm the one who gripped you tight and raised you from perdition. (Supernatural), Quote: No chick-flick moments. (Supernatural), Quote: Saving people hunting things (Supernatural), Quote: We are. (Supernatural: Raising Hell), Sad Ending, Sam Winchester is So Done, Season/Series 15, The Impala (Supernatural), Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Whump, oneshots of how supernatural can end, some may be happy, some will be sad
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-27
Updated: 2020-06-26
Packaged: 2021-03-04 07:33:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,655
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24939865
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sandean_cas/pseuds/sandean_cas
Summary: A bunch of one-shots based on how I think Supernatural will end....“There’s something I’ve always wanted to know… so I’ll give you a chance to save them.” Chuck raises one finger then. “One of them.”“What?” Sam snaps, glancing around with wild eyes. “It’s Dean, you gotta save Dean.”His voice is desperate yet resigned. Sam’s breaths come in pants and he’s clearly frazzled. The brothers clearly recognize that Chuck means business. Castiel tries to catch Dean’s gaze, to try and gauge his reaction but he’s facing Sam, staring at his brother intently.As expected, Dean shakes his head no before turning to face the angel. “Cass, you know Sammy has a future. Please. Do this for me.”He’s never been able to deny Dean anything. But doing this would mean losing him. And if he saves Dean, they lose Sam. It’s an impossible choice. Castiel feels his eyes burn and he’s forced to look away from Dean. How can he pick one when they both mean so much to him? It feels like he isn’t in his body, like some other person is standing here, being asked to pick which one of their family members lives and which dies. Flashes of their bodies on the ground, eyes burnt out swarm his mind.Sam... or Dean?
Relationships: Castiel & Sam Winchester, Castiel/Dean Winchester, Dean Winchester & Sam Winchester
Comments: 12
Kudos: 47





	Blackout.

**Author's Note:**

> I need to say a humongous thank you to my beta, [shipperofdarkness](https://archiveofourown.org/users/shipperofdarkness/profile) for going through this fic many times and fixing and suggesting and really helping bring out all the emotions!

Castiel stares at the blackened skillet and shakes his head. Sam, Dean, and Jack went out awhile ago. He was hoping to have some lunch ready for them by the time they got back. However, he’s fairly certain his attempt at an ‘egg omelet’ is now forever stuck to the frying pan. Scraping with a spatula doesn’t do much for the coarseness on the bottom.

How Dean cooks so effortlessly is beyond him. His eggs never get stuck.

At the start of the charge, Castiel had been certain that he could do it. He’s observed Dean’s technique many times. He’d added everything to the egg mix. Even salt. Glumly, he stares at the blackened mess that looks nothing like Dean’s beautiful, golden eggs.

Frozen, he wonders what he should do. Scraping it off seems impossible now that it’s hardened. Dean will be livid when he sees. Castiel doesn’t understand how this happened. He’d followed _all_ the instructions _exactly_.

Even after his return to the bunker and the Winchesters, Castiel still finds himself feeling on edge. With his waning powers, he’s trying to find a purpose in their lives. Dean doesn’t seem concerned with that lately. Most times, he prefers to whisk everyone away to the ‘Dean-cave’ for movie night. Or fix lavish dinners.

That’s what had given Castiel the idea to make omelets in the first place. Both Sam and Dean love them, and Jack, he would eat anything just for the sake of eating it.

Sam’s omelet was specially tailored to his usual diet. Lots of fruits and veggies tossed in. Dean’s on the other hand, was supposed to be filled with bacon, cheese, and onions… maybe some mushrooms.

The internet had suggested making eggs is one of the easiest tasks to master, but it seems he can’t even fry an egg right. 

He gives the pan one last scrape before deeming it unsalvageable, which is a shame because he knows it’s Dean’s favorite. Maybe he should buy a new one…

That sounds like a good idea.

Plus, he’s pretty sure he wasted all of Sam’s blueberries and kale for the ‘filling.’

It’s imperative he replaces everything before they get back. Maybe he should buy a couple of pans so that he can practice? He’ll need a lot of eggs too. It’s quite enjoyable to crack the shell and have the nice slimy stuff spill out. It fascinates Castiel every time.

He heads up the bunker stairs after taking one of the spare credit cards and locks the door behind him.

The sound of someone clearing their throat has him whirling.

“Heya, Cass.” Chuck greets cheerily.

His hand rests on the knob, maybe he can slip inside before Chuck obliterates him.

Chuck’s eyes narrow and he tuts at the angel. “Oh no. You don’t want to leave before our guests arrive.”

He snaps his fingers and Sam and Dean drop to the floor, pitching up some of the dirt. With a groan, they struggle to their knees. Castiel has to swallow to stop himself from asking for Jack. Chuck doesn’t know he’s back. He can’t screw that up.

“Cass, get inside,” Dean growls. “He won’t kill us. He needs us alive for his crappy ending.”

Chuck chuckles for a long moment before resting a hand over his stomach as though it pains him.

“Sure, Cass.” He says teasingly. “You head on inside. Back to safety while I pop my piñatas. Or maybe you can just head on out to secretly buy Dean a new frying pan.” He turns to the hunter then. “He _really_ ruined that other one.”

Dean’s reaction – or lack of reaction – is telling. This is serious. Dean doesn’t even crack a joke or look annoyed. His face remains set a mask of fear.

“You won’t do that,” Cass says uncertainly.

Narrowing his eyes, Chuck takes a step closer. “Maybe not yesterday.” He says menacingly. “But today is a new day. The last day, in fact… for some of us.”

He looks over to Sam and Dean, hoping to get some clarification. All he sees is panic on their faces.

“Tick tock.” Chuck hisses impatiently. To Castiel, “I bet you’re wondering where Jack is.”

He stiffens. “Jack is dead.”

“Please,” Chuck says dryly. “Spare me. He just tried to kill me.”

Castiel’s eyes widen.

“Well,” Chuck says. “Tried is an understatement. He is killing me. Then, of course, _Billie_ came to cart him off to ‘safety’. Heh. I always liked the old Death better. He was so much less dramatic, you know?”

Jack is safe at least. Castiel can take solace in the fact that he has one less person to worry about. Whatever her plan, Billie needs Jack.

“Whatever he did to me… I can feel it. Writhing inside me. Messing with me. It’s gonna take me soon enough.”

“What’s stopping me from just waiting until you die? Sam and Dean will be free.”

“Au contraire.” Chuck pipes up. “You see –before things got all whooshy– I did a little bonding with Sam and Dean.”

With bated breath, Castiel waits for the other shoe to drop.

“I connected them to me,” he says. “When I die. They die with me.”

Castiel feels panic overtake him. This is what they wanted: Chuck dead. The only cost would be taking Sam and Dean with him. Castiel isn’t willing to pay that price.

“If I stop it, will you release them?”

“You can’t stop this,” Chuck tells him. “Even if you could find Billie, she’d never let you near Jack. I’ve accepted my fate.” He nods to himself.

While Chuck sighs in satisfaction, Castiel’s mind is racing. He has to save them. He has to fix this.

“There’s something I’ve always wanted to know… so I’ll give you a chance to save them.” Chuck raises one finger then. “One of them.”

“What?” Sam snaps, glancing around with wild eyes. “It’s Dean, you gotta save Dean.”

His voice is desperate yet resigned. Sam’s breaths come in pants and he’s clearly frazzled. The brothers clearly recognize that Chuck means business. Castiel tries to catch Dean’s gaze, to try and gauge his reaction but he’s facing Sam, staring at his brother intently.

As expected, Dean shakes his head no before turning to face the angel. “Cass, you know Sammy has a future. Please. Do this for me.”

He’s never been able to deny Dean anything. But doing this would mean losing him. And if he saves Dean, they lose Sam. It’s an impossible choice. Castiel feels his eyes burn and he’s forced to look away from Dean. How can he pick one when they both mean so much to him? It feels like he isn’t in his body, like some other person is standing here, being asked to pick which one of their family members lives and which dies. Flashes of their bodies on the ground, eyes burnt out swarm his mind.

It won’t be the first time Dean’s lifeless eyes stare up at him. Naomi’s conditioning had been brutal, but he’d always known in the back of his mind, it wasn’t _really_ Dean he’d been forced to execute again and again. He’d felt shattered every time, his humanity pushed further and further back to protect himself. Yet, when the time came, despite all his ‘practice,’ he couldn't bear to kill Dean.

Now, he might have to. No take-backs, no do-overs.

He went through this with Jack once but even then, there was the hope he would come back. And he did but Sam and Dean won’t. Billie will make sure of it.

“Please,” Dean begs as Sam shakes his head and murmurs the word ‘no’ over and over.

“Cass. It has to be Dean. You know it.” Sam implores. With a knowing look, he glances between him and Dean. The realization that he knows –and probably has for some time– hits him like a brick falling on top of the already formed pile of bricks that is Chuck’s ultimatum.

“That’s enough,” Chuck snaps his fingers and tape appears on Winchester's mouths.

Chuck stares at him smugly, knowing that he’s won. Defeated them totally and completely.

Why? Chuck has always been one for flair. He’s dying and he can’t stop it, but he _can_ drag someone down with him. Chuck wants a sacrificial lamb? To leave the earth and the Winchesters in chaos? Castiel can give that to him.

“You can tie yourself to me,” Castiel whispers. “You can drag me with you into the abyss.”

Chuck scoffs. “Tell me what I want to know. Save one Winchester. That’s the only way this is going down.” He doubles over then, clutching his head and groaning. When he raises, there’s a bloody smile on his face. “Better speed things up _Cass_ or you’ll be left with _no_ Winchesters.”

And he means it, Castiel can tell. He won’t hesitate to drag them both down with him. Billie wouldn’t intervene. There’s nothing she wants more than to trap them in the Empty. They would be lost, their deaths permanent.

“Think about it this way.” Chuck offers, breaking him from his reverie. “It’s not glass half empty, it’s glass half full.”

“What do you want to know?” He grits out. Castiel will tell him anything.

“I know you’re in love with Dean,” Chuck says.

Chills run down Castiel’s spine as he sees Dean’s eyes widen. The hunter freezes completely. He can’t bear to see Dean’s expression, not now. With his emotions already at their limit, any disgust or rage or rejection will shatter him completely. Chuck scoffs as Castiel feels the world tilt.

After all he’s done to conceal it, Dean knows. Sometimes he liked to daydream, imagine having the courage to tell Dean. Of course, in his fantasies, Dean’s always happy and returns his feelings. They’d give him hope and he’d go to find Dean, his confession on the tip of his tongue. The furthest he’d ever made it was tapping the hunter on the shoulder. He could never find the words to tell him properly, but Chuck had dashed that possibility aside. Castiel knows in real life, Dean’s reaction will be somewhat more subdued and more likely than not, negative. 

Sucking in courage, Castiel chances a look. His expression is incredulous but the loathing the angel expected to see is not present. He doesn’t know what to make of it and there isn’t enough time to process it now.

“And I know Sam is your close friend.”

Their relationship hadn’t started happily. He’d been against Sam, but getting to know him –both through Dean and his own ‘looking in’ on the brothers– showed him that Sam has many sides. They’ve grown especially close in the past few years, they share things other than their love for Dean. They both enjoy research and helping people. The countless hours they’d spent together in the library, pouring through lore and research, were happy memories. 

Sam was the one to introduce him to Netflix and the concept of ‘binge-watching.’ He’d confided in him about leading the group of hunters and Dean’s plan to get into the Ma’lak box. They’d worked side-by-side on removing the Mark of Cain. They relied on each other, had both endured possession by Lucifer. They _get_ each other. Sam would only ever be second to Dean, and that was the problem.

It feels like time has slowed down, allowing him to live forever in this moment, suffering and drowning in panic.

“One of them gets to live.” Chuck continues. “The one you _want_ to live.”

He meets Sam’s eyes first, swallowing at the desperation in them. He understands his need to save Dean, his brother who raised him and took care of him, sold his soul and died for him. Cass sickeningly realizes Sam is trying to make it easier for him. His eyes are so tender and understanding even in the face of death. Castiel feels his breath shudder out of him. Making this choice will kill him.

His eyes shift to the left. Green eyes stare at him. He can see the emotions in them, the intent. Dean wants him to choose Sam. Of course, he does. Dean always chooses his little brother. It’s ‘his job.’ But Dean isn’t choosing today, Castiel is.

As much as it shames him to admit, he would pick Dean in an instant. His heart demands it. But if Sam dies in his place, Dean would break. He’d be shattered for the rest of his life. No one would be able to pick up the pieces, not even Castiel. Dean wouldn’t want him nearby.. He’d hate him and with good reason. After losing Sam, the one person he’d tried so hard to keep safe, he’d undoubtedly pull away from everyone and everything. He’d waste away alone. Castiel would try to help him, do anything to relieve him of the loss, but Dean would scorn him, might even harm him for what he’d done. He wouldn’t blame him. It would break Castiel’s heart but he would stay by Dean’s side. 

Is death really the better choice?

“Pick one,” Chuck commands, his eyes gleaming evilly.

Even in the face of his imminent defeat, he’s found a way to take victory away from them.

“I–” he swallows harshly.

‘Dean’ is on the tip of his tongue, ready to spill out.

But he loves Dean with all his heart. He loves him selflessly, so he can’t sentence him to a life of misery. He can give him one last moment of peace before he’s gone. Let him know that Sam will be okay.

He stares at Dean who relaxes instantly. He can see the answer on Castiel’s face.

 ** _Thank you, Cass. I’m sorry. I didn’t…_** **_You were always it for me. I’m selfish for asking you to do this but you’re the only one who can save him._** Dean’s prayer almost causes him to burst into tears. The finality of his tone breaks something in Castiel. Soon enough, he’s going to be staring down at Dean’s corpse, unable to do anything but watch.

He forces his lips to tilt up in a reassuring smile. He’s known Dean for years, and though it pains him, he hadn’t expected him to make any other choice.

Dean is right. Sam is the one who has a chance of recovering from this. He can have a life, move on.

“I pick…” Cass forces the next word out against every instinct in his body. “Sam.” The words feel final.

The moment he says them he feels his knees buckle. Dean sighs in relief and Sam just shakes his head repeatedly, as though trying to dislodge the tape.

Chuck looks shocked. “Huh.” He says after a long silence. “You always manage to surprise me, Cass. Are you sure?”

“Yes.” His voice trembles.

Chuck looks at him then, almost sadly. “Oh, Cass.” He whispers sadly. “You always did try to do the right thing.”

His body drops to the floor, shaking violently. But even as he shakes, Chuck grins widely.

“A deal i-i-is a d-deal.” He mutters. Chuck screams then before dissolving into another bout of laughter.

“Wants are funny things,” Chuck mumbles, pressing his cheek into the dirt. “I, for instance, wanted Sam to kill Dean or vice versa. I _wanted_ only one Winchester to survive, to live his life in solitude, knowing that even though they saved the world, they would have still failed their brother. It’s the perfect ending really. Happy yet angst-y. But now I’m dying.” He says bitterly. “And in some perverse way, I can still _say_ I’m getting my ending, it’s just not the way I wanted, but what I _really wanted_ isn’t possible anymore.”

“I know what you really want, Cass. I know what your heart desires… and it wasn’t who you said it was.”

Ethereal light streams out from Chuck’s body, almost blinding him, but the light does nothing to block out Sam’s dying screams.


End file.
